Five years after launching its popular Formula One docuseries “Drive to Survive,” Netflix has dipped into the history of auto racing’s most prestigious championship for its first scripted project about the sport, based on the life of one of its all-time greats: Ayrton Senna.
“Senna,” premiering on Nov. 29, follows the dashing Brazilian from his karting days in São Paulo to his tragic death, at 34, in a crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. As teased in the exclusive trailer below, the six-part miniseries, starring Gabriel Leone (“Ferrari”) as Senna, focuses much of its attention on the unforgettable thrills of Senna’s 10 years in F1, including his bitter rivalry with McLaren teammate Alain Prost, his legendary skill at racing in the rain and his three World Drivers’ Championships.
In addition to a helping of wheel-to-wheel racing that will satisfy even serious gearheads, the series, from showrunner Vicente Amorim, also introduces us to Senna’s supportive parents, Miltão (Marco Ricca) and Zaza (Susana Ribeiro); his glamorous pop star girlfriend, Xuxa (Pâmela Tomé); and Laura Harrison (Kaya Scodelario), a fictional reporter who becomes one of the driver’s closest allies upon his move to Europe.
Although “Drive to Survive” and the recent establishment of three Grand Prix races in the U.S. have helped expand the sport’s popularity with American audiences, it remains, like soccer, much more significant abroad. As such, “Senna,” produced in Brazil and filmed largely in Portuguese with the support of F1’s governing body, seems likely to forge new ties between Netflix and diehard F1 fans who already know of Senna and his accomplishments.
The driver was previously the subject of Asif Kapadia’s 2011 documentary “Senna.”